All advice taken to reduce these bills!!!

katty11

Hi all

I am currently in the process of trying to reduce my joint gas and elec bills. I am currently paying £99.00 per month to Scottish power and am looking to reduce by shopping around but also by reducing consumption. I have been on mat leave for the last year so consumption has been high however now I have returned to work 5 days per week I am hoping consumption will go down. My qn is what hints and tips have you got for reducing consumption? And what would be a realistic target for reducing my bill?

Thanks

Katty

HappyMJ

You could post your kWh usage levels here and the region you live in and the tariff you are on with Scottishpower and do a comparison on one of the sites then post back here to confirm your selection of a new tariff is a good one or not.

Put the heating on lower. 15(bedrooms)-18(living areas) when you are in during the day/evening/morning and 12-15 at night. Keep reducing until you feel it's too cold. Wrap yourself up in a warm blanket, heat only the rooms you use regularly. It's nice to have a warm bathroom but most people are only in for 15 minutes per day. You could turn the radiator off and have a quick shower and get back to the warmth of the bedroom.

Do not ever use the dryer on a routine basis unless you really need something dry there and then. Most clothes can drip dry for 12 hours or so then you can finish them off in the dryer.

A realistic target is whatever you feel is necessary for your budget. 10% or more of your income spent on gas and electricity is considered fuel poverty so I'd start there. A single working person on £13,000 per year would earn £933.50 per month after tax so 10% is £93.50 per month to spend on the gas and electric. A single unemployed person who is a tenant and on benefits would get about £9,000 a year so that's about £75 a month.

jalexa

katty11 wrote: »

I am currently paying £99.00 per month to Scottish power and am looking to reduce by shopping around but also by reducing consumption.

For starters you need to get a handle on your consumption. Take daily readings for a week, then weekly readings for the rest of the month.

Also important is not the specific supplier but your actual tariff. Without knowing your actual consumption you can get a guide to what you might save by using a comparison website and quoting your actual tariff and "average" consumption. Look at the % saving not the ££s saving. Never compare using the monthly payment.

good_advice

Hi Katty. the first thing to do is check you are on the cheapest tariff? I believe the SP online energy saver 16 is the best at the moment.
Buy an Owl monitor. It keeps you up to date on how much electricity you are using. Encourages you to turn things OFF.

macman

You can't reduce consumption without knowing what it is now, so start by working out your annual kWh consumption figures. Then get on a comp site with them. Do not use monthly DD figures as they produce inaccurate results.